100 years of Dingells in the House?

posted at 4:11 pm on February 24, 2014 by Allahpundit

Ed mentioned earlier that Dingell’s wife is a top candidate to succeed him but I want to make sure everyone understands just how long this dynasty is. The guy who held Dingell’s seat before he was first elected to the House in 1955 was … John Dingell Sr. And Dingell Sr wasn’t a newcomer: He took his seat on March 3, 1933, the day before FDR was sworn in as president for his first term. The Dingells have been represented in Congress since before the New Deal. And at age 60, Debbie’s got a fair shot at a long run herself. If she can serve 19 years, it’ll be a full century of Dingellmania in the House for Michigan. And if she can’t serve 19 years, no worries. Christopher Dingell, John’s son, was elected to the state senate at the tender age of 30 and now serves as a judge. He’s a few years younger than Debbie and is right in line behind her. Who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky and have a Dingell-versus-Dingell primary for the old man’s seat. That would be a fittingly grotesque end to having one family dominate its district for more than 80 years.

Debbie Dingell, a Democratic power broker and chairwoman of the Wayne State University Board of Governors, is expected to run for Michigan’s 12th Congressional District, now that her husband, U.S. Rep. John Dingell, announced his retirement Monday, political experts said…

John Dingell, in office since 1955, yields tremendous political influence and an endorsement for his wife would carry weight within the party and potentially could ward off a contentious Democratic primary.

“Debbie Dingell has political gravitas. John Dingell has three times more,” Bucholz said. “… No one in Michigan will second guess Congressman Dingell on who should be his replacement. If they do, it wouldn’t be in public.”…

“She would be almost impossible to beat,” said Trupiano, now a Democratic state House candidate. “She certainly has the connections. She has the finesse and the progressive chops to make this her seat.”

I grumble about dynastic politics every time a Clinton, Bush, Kennedy, or Cheney makes noise about running for something but in hindsight I think my approach is all wrong. If you want to build a backlash against dynasties, the goal of which would be a federal term-limits law, you’re going to need more dynasties, not less. Granted, term limits won’t solve the problem completely — the Dingells of tomorrow will simply bounce from the House to the Senate to the governor’s seat rather than staying put for decades — but at least it’ll cure the repulsive spectacle of a man spending 58 years in Congress and the media applauding him for it. You’ll never get a term-limits bill through Congress unless legislators feel they have no choice but to pass it, though, and you’ll never convince them they have no choice but to pass it unless public anger at dynasties gets much hotter than it is now. The only way to make that happen is to force-feed voters more of them until they’re good and nauseated. Clinton versus Bush II in 2016? Fine. Chelsea Clinton and George P. Bush running for the House in a few years? Terrific. Liz Cheney will certainly run for something again. Maybe Michelle Obama could be convinced to run for Senate too; she’s just 50 years old and there’d be plenty of support in Illinois. What we need is a Cloward-Piven strategy here — overload the federal government with so many ruling-class brand names that the public finally vomits from the decadence. Republicans, the party of small(er) government, will have to lead on this, but there’s plenty of support out there to be had. All it takes is politicians who value the health of their democracy more than their own dynastic potential. How many of those do you suppose we can find? Three? Four?

Exit question: Why not a constitutional amendment instead? Get it going in the states and, if/when you’ve got three-quarters of them signing on, dare Congress not to pass it.

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Exit question: Why not a constitutional amendment instead? Get it going in the states and, if/when you’ve got three-quarters of them signing on, dare Congress not to pass it.

Um, that would be a constitutional convention, and it would bypass Congress entirely. If that actually happened their vote would be irrelevant because if 3/4 vote in the affirmative for such a measure 2/3 would surely get together and make it proper.

His wife has been in that seat anyway for years — her husband is practically brain dead. Might as well make it official. What dreadful, disgraceful people. Pure sludge from the bottom of someone’s latrine.

Why not, Killary is running on her last name, this woman might as well run on hers too since apparently these sort of people are incapable of doing anything else with their lives.

The people in Dingleberry’s district elected and reelected the fool 29 times, think about that, TWENTY NINE times; you might think that after about 20 terms they would want some new blood. Oh that’s right, he represents a big chunk of Detroit….huh….I’m guessing he kept all the right peeps happy with a continuous flow of federal cabbage.

You’ll never get a term-limits bill through Congress unless legislators feel they have no choice but to pass it, though, and you’ll never convince them they have no choice but to pass it unless public anger at dynasties gets much hotter than it is now. The only way to make that happen is to force-feed voters more of them until they’re good and nauseated.

Let’s not let this one lie fester. Dingell is not from Michigan. He was raised in DC and attended Georgetown Prep and the Congressional Pages school while his daddy held the seat. He graduated from Georgetown and after a few patronage jobs lined up by daddy he landed as the head of the family business. He may have a home in his district but he is a Washingtonian.

And BTW, if you think that his spouse is in the relationship for love or the sex, well then that is absurd. She’s an opportunistic harpy who plans on using the Dingell brand for her own agenda.

Well in this case, the good news is that with the current bunch of dingellberries we have in Washington, our republic can’t possibly make it for another 50 years. I’ll be long gone by then, too. Can’t hardly wait!!

Would some HotAirians from Michigan please let us know who the Republican candidate(s) is for the Dingell seat?

wren on February 24, 2014 at 5:11 PM

Given the fact that this is the first time since 1933 the seat has been in play due to retirement…… Given the fact that this was unexpected…………. Maybe the MI GOP could have a few hours before we worry about who they intend to run. ;0

Seriously, I suspect that the GOP calculus changed. Not that it is likely they will win but with the fossil out of the picture it is likely that the GOP candidate will be more than the usual sacrificial lamb.

Are the people in this district so stupid as to believe that succession is the rule by which they live. What a sad world they live in. This is suppose to be a Representative Republic and not a Monarchy.

Given the fact that this is the first time since 1933 the seat has been in play due to retirement…… Given the fact that this was unexpected…………. Maybe the MI GOP could have a few hours before we worry about who they intend to run. ;0

Happy Nomad on February 24, 2014 at 5:26 PM

Thank you for your local perspective, Happy Nomad.

But since John Dingell is 87 years old, his retirement announcement really shouldn’t be much of a surprise to the local Republican Party.

It might be hard to predict the exact timing of his retirement, but even a Dingell can’t stay in Congress forever.

Every Republican Central Committee across the country should have a list of candidates who could be ready to run whenever a retirement or special election opportunity comes up, particulary if their Representative has been qualified for Medicare for more than 20 years.

The Michigan Congressional Primary is scheduled for August 5th. The deadline to get on the Primary ballot is April 22.

Let’s hope the Republican Party can come up with a candidate who will have a fighting chance of finally ending the Dingell Dynasty by defeating Debbie Dingell.

Every Republican Central Committee across the country should have a list of candidates who could be ready to run whenever a retirement or special election opportunity comes up, particulary if their Representative has been qualified for Medicare for more than 20 years.

The Michigan Congressional Primary is scheduled for August 5th. The deadline to get on the Primary ballot is April 22.

Let’s hope the Republican Party can come up with a candidate who will have a fighting chance of finally ending the Dingell Dynasty by defeating Debbie Dingell.

wren on February 24, 2014 at 6:32 PM

There was a really good conservative who ran against him in 2010. I don’t remember his name, but he’s a doctor. Yet the voters in his district preferred a leftist in his 80s.

Debbie Dingell, a Democratic power broker and chairwoman of the Wayne State University Board of Governors, is expected to run for Michigan’s 12th Congressional District, now that her husband, U.S. Rep. John Dingell, announced his retirement Monday, political experts said…

I once lived in Dingleberry’s district. Moved out a few years ago. That is heavy Dem area. Doubtful a Republican has a chance. Dingleberry is a walking corpse and he still won the last time. He had to be wheel chaired into the ObamaCare signing.